The present disclosure relates generally to stringed instruments. In particular, the present disclosure relates to stringed instruments having a neck and a body that are secured together with mechanical fasteners.
Stringed instruments have been used for thousands of years. In particular, stringed instruments having a neck that supports the strings and a body, such as the body of a guitar, bass, violin, cello, fiddle, banjo, mandolin, etc., have been used by people around the world. These instruments have proven to be highly versatile and have been fundamental for the creation and composition of music in many different genres, including classical, rock, jazz, country, and the like.
Stringed instruments have been modified over the years. These changes have allowed instruments to create new sounds, genres, and styles of music. For instance, the incorporation of electronic components was one of the most significant innovations to stringed instruments in the 20th century. The sound from electronic stringed instruments can be electronically amplified, allowing musicians to play at greater volumes and to larger audiences. Electronic stringed instruments are also capable of replicating virtually any type of sound, making electronic stringed instruments even more versatile than their conventional counterparts.
Some styles of stringed instruments, including electric guitars and basses, have been developed with a body and a neck that are separably coupled with bolts or other mechanical fasteners. Furthermore, some designs, known as “bolt-on neck” designs, include a neck plate that is placed between the bolts that connect the body to the neck and the body itself. Neck plates can provide a more structurally sound fit between the body and the neck of the instrument and can help protect the body from damage by distributing and dissipating forces applied to the body from the heads of the bolts as the body and the neck are coupled together via the bolts. Additionally, the sound of a musical instrument can vary depending on the material, size, thickness, and shape of a neck plate.
Despite innovations in the shape and size of stringed instruments, it still remains difficult or impossible for some to play certain notes on stringed instruments. In particular, it remains difficult or impossible for some to play the upper register of stringed instruments. This is because the body, neck, and/or neck plates of instruments can block the hand and wrist from reaching points on the strings on a front side of the neck that are necessary for playing the upper register.
Some have attempted to cutout portions of the body and/or neck to provide increased access for a fretting hand to reach the upper register. However, these modifications are difficult or impossible in bolt on neck instruments because the neck plate limits how deep or wide the cutout can be. Some have attempted to circumvent this problem by decreasing the size of the neck plate, but this can limit the structural, acoustic, and aesthetic qualities of the instrument. Others have also attempted to circumvent this problem by bolting the neck and body together without a neck plate, but this completely eliminates the benefits that are provided by a neck plate.
Accordingly, there remains a need for bolt on neck stringed instruments that provide increased access to the upper register without compromising the structural and/or acoustic properties of the instrument.